Its Been A Year Since...

Illness, moving home, loosing someone close, had a baby, changed job, won the lottery...

I thought this might be a good place to put a rolling thread to share some reflections on something significant that may have happened in your life about a year ago...

Well I thought I would start this off by saying that its a year since I had my depression breakdown...

I have come through it all with the help of family, friends (including forum friends),
& chemicals (as issued by the doctor)...

I have had to take a look at my life in general & strip it back to the basics, more me time be it in the garden, reading, listening to my music.

Baking bread, picking fruit, making jam & giving a pot away, being told how good it is, all these things have helped.

Also the realisation that work is a nessescary evil to string 2 rest days together its not the work thats important, its the restdays...

I would like to think that I have helped even a tiny bit in bringing it more into the open, it is a healthy thread on here, trickling over from time to time, it is now more acceptable to talk about in my workplace...

I won't say its gone but I certainly feel a lot different a year down the line...

Now the idea isn't to turn this into another thread about depression, I'm sure there are things people can reflect upon that have happened in about the last year...

It's a year ago since OH and I wondered what it would be like when his job finished at the end of August when the school for autistic children he worked at closed and he was made redundant. As it happened, he started a new job the week after the school closed which put us in the best possible position financially (a bonus 'loyalty' payment or was it danger money?). Between us we now earn less than the national average for one person, but there is less stress, and we are managing. We have had to keep communications open as there was quite a bit to get used to in our new way of life (less money - we now work at the same school - I no longer have lots of time on my own which I had got used to when OH was on shift work) but its working out.

A year ago my son was taking his French Baccalaureate exams...in French. His father and I had managed to negociate some places in UK universities to start his training as an architect. He had made his first choice and seemed capable of getting the mark (the UK do not understand the French Bac at all!!).

The exams ranged from Physics and Chemistry to French literature, german, histrory etc. Some 8 subjects and the exams all in one week. The last exam was history/geography. He was too tired think and got 5/20 a mark never reached before (we got a copy of his paper..the French was very bad!). This put his final result a fraction of a mark below what he needed for his first choice.

The university had over subscribed itself and so only took those that achieve their offer. One sad lad was not looking to use clearing until he saw that universities that had been on his original list where accepting through clearing...possibly due to the extra 10,000 places made available by the government...but they were there for the asking!

So after a very nerve racking time looking for places on the web page and phone calls he talked to two places in London. Not good news I thought. Luckily due to a friend calling me I learn there was a possibility to go to Canterbury, I place I know he would love. I nagged and encouraged. He went and decided it was right. He is there now and very happy.

Since then we have learned his two original choices (especially his first choice) is not what it used to be and the city not fun to be in. Whereas in Canterbury he is lapping up the culture and the music.

So the usual twist in the tail of allowing things to be swayed by events will allow us to walk a better path!